Running no longer excludes lifting. Conditioning no longer exists in isolation. The contemporary athlete is not defined by specialization, but by adaptability—by the ability to move across disciplines, to perform without weakness, and to engage with fitness as both challenge and experience. It is within this cultural transition that ATHX Games takes shape.

More than a competition, ATHX proposes a redefinition of what it means to train—and why. At its core lies a dual ambition: to deliver a credible, uncompromising test of fitness, and to transform that test into a shared moment. A space where elite athletes and first-time participants coexist, where performance is measured not only in output, but in connection and presence. In this sense, the arena becomes more than just a sports venue. It became a temporary community, brought to life within the Milan Hybrid Hotel designed by adidas. 

As ATHX Games has expanded to cities such as London, Paris, Madrid, and Milan, we had the opportunity to speak with CEO and Co-founder Mark Hartnett Morgan during the Italian leg of the tour, delving into the development of a format that goes beyond performance, positioning fitness as a cultural experience—one that can be adapted to different urban contexts, each with its own rhythm and relationship to movement.

Before ATHX Games became a format, a growing international community, what was the original gap you felt in fitness culture that made you think: something new needs to exist here?

“We saw the success of Hyrox and whilst we loved what they created, namely the low barrier to entry competition, standardized format and high level of event production, we felt that there was a clear gap for an event that shared these attributes but at the same time was more of an all-round true fitness test rather than an endurance biased fitness race. The growth in the number of people undertaking strength training as part of their weekly programme isn’t slowing down so we believe strongly that an all around fitness challenge should incorporate tests of strength, endurance & conditioning.”

Hybrid competition sits at the intersection of strength, endurance and functional movement, but also between different identities: runner, lifter, athlete, everyday sports addict. What first convinced you that these worlds were ready to merge into one new language?

“If you spend time in gyms and within fitness communities across the Globe you see the merging you speak of happening in front of your eyes. Very few people in today’s world choose to focus on one form of training or sport…it’s now about challenging yourself and having fun across multiple disciplines.”

What did you want people to feel with ATHX Games that traditional races, gyms or fitness events were not giving them?

“We wanted to deliver a true & credible test of fitness whilst also delivering a wow fitness experience that will live long in their memories. I believe that too often fitness events tick one of these boxes but very few deliver on both.”

At Athleta, we are interested in sport not only as performance, but as a cultural lens. In your eyes, what does hybrid fitness say about the way people want to move, train and belong today?

“At every ATHX event we see the power of community and also the desire for people to become all round functional athletes with no perceived area of weakness. We often have up to 80 people competing together from the same gym and the togetherness that is showcased when they do this is truly inspiring. In regards to the all round athlete desire…it’s amazing how often our ATHX competitors immediately start discussing how they are going to adapt their training so they can perform better next time they are on the ATHX floor. That desire for constant self improvement is only going to grow stronger.”

We are seeing a new version of athletes. Do you see ATHX Games also as a philosophy and a method of how the modern athlete should train today?

“We believe strongly in the basic fundamentals of strength & conditioning training and that the majority of people should train in this way. One of the benefits of training like this is that you will perform better on the ATHX floor but that’s just one small benefit versus the huge number of health & fitness benefits that you will receive.”

One of the strongest things emerging from hybrid training culture is the sense of belonging around it. What kind of community did you want ATHX Games to build — and how is it different from gym culture?

“Community is one of our core brand pillars and we truly stand by that. The power of community is on show at every ATHX event no matter the city or country. We have some of the best athletes in the world competing alongside first timers with the youngest athlete being 16 years old and the oldest 78. No matter your age, experience or fitness ability, everyone is treated the same and everyone supports each other on the comp floor. This is something that we will continue to focus on and cherish as the business grows.”

Do you think the future of fitness will be less about isolated self-improvement and more about shared environments and performance?

“In a modern world that could soon be dominated by AI we believe strongly that in-person live experiences will flourish. This will be the same with fitness & training. The team spirit and relationships that were once built in the workplace will in some cases be replaced by the communities you build in your leisure time including in gyms and at fitness events.”

ATHX Games is expanding into cities like London, Paris, Madrid and now Milan. What does Milan represent to you as a stop on this journey — not only as a market, but as a city with its own visual language, design culture and relationship to movement?

“Milan was such an exciting event for us as it was our first ATHX in Italy which is a key focus country for us. The energy and enthusiasm that the Milan athletes brought to the competition floor matched that of athletes from other cities which was amazing considering it was the first of many ATHX Italian events.”

Your partnership with adidas clearly goes beyond standard sponsorship. What made adidas feel like the right long-term partner for ATHX Games at this stage of your evolution? and what does it mean to have a global brand actively helping shape the experience?

“It was a dream come true to sign a partnership deal with an iconic brand such as adidas. They partnered with us before we had even delivered our first ATHX event so from day 1 they really bought into our vision for the brand & events. The partnership has grown from strength to strength since then and we are very grateful to have them by our side as we take ATHX across the globe.”

At a deeper level, what do you hope a competitor carries home after ATHX Games? And what would you want them to understand about this format?

“To be honest, we want ATHX to be more than just about the event day itself. The ATHX experience should start from the moment you sign up to compete at an event because we believe strongly that ATHX can be people’s motivation to go to the gym more and train harder than before. The benefits from doing this will be more than a good performance on the competition floor as hopefully this can help them create long term habits. Once they do get to event day, we want to give them a truly memorable & immersive fitness experience that will motivate them to come back for more and importantly give them a credible test of fitness that will give them a clear indication of how they can improve as a functional fitness athlete.”